Top 5 Sales Intelligence Platforms for SMB: Boosting Sales Performance through Strategic Insights

Introduction

Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rely on sales to cover overhead expenses, pay salaries, and hopefully have enough left over at the end of the month for key hires, advertising, and other line items that lead to long-term, predictable revenue growth.

Due to limited resources and smaller teams, the challenges SMBs face differ significantly from those of large enterprises. As such, small—to medium-sized businesses need to leverage every tool available to give their team a competitive advantage, especially the sales team.

One powerful tool that’s changing the face of lead generation and sales today is sales intelligence software.

In this article, we’re going to cover:

• What Sales Intelligence Platforms Are: Understand the basics of sales intelligence and its applications.
• Top Factors to Consider: Learn about the key features and functionalities to look for when choosing a sales intelligence platform.
• Top 5 Platforms for SMBs: A detailed review of the five best sales intelligence tools tailored for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Benefits for SMBs: Discover how these platforms can specifically empower smaller businesses- improving their sales performance.
• Implementation Tips for Fast Results: Practical advice on integrating sales intelligence platforms into your current sales processes for maximum impact.

So, let’s dive in!

Understanding Sales Intelligence

Definition and Importance of Sales Intelligence

Sales intelligence is more than just “data.” Raw data is rarely usable in the real world and needs to be filtered to uncover the actionable data and insights that drive leads, pipelines, and sales. There are two primary components: intent data and sales intelligence data.

Intent Data: This is dynamic and active data representing behavioral information that’s tracked on potential customers, indicating their readiness to buy (aka. “buying signals”).

This data includes actions like:

• Website visits
• Content downloads
• Social media Interactions
• And more.

Looking at these behaviors, sales and marketing teams can identify prospects demonstrating a high level of interest or need- allowing them to prioritize leads and target accounts and tailor their outreach accordingly.

Sales Intelligence Data: This is a collection of real-time, up-to-date details on a decision-maker or key person, a company, or a property. This data could include anything from:

• Property data
• Permitting
• Ownership & tenant information
• Industry details
• Company size
• Revenues
• And key person contact information

This data helps businesses to better understand their prospective customers- who to reach out to, when to make contact, how to reach them, and what they need.

How Sales Intelligence Platforms Help SMBs

For SMBs, sales intelligence solutions offer the power of multiple tools in one simple-to-use ecosystem. Combining strategic data with powerful tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate sales functions and streamline outreach.

An example of this would be Convex’s Atlas. Atlas is a property intelligence solution that allows commercial services sales reps to target a property or asset (e.g., HVAC, roofing, solar, elevators, etc.) and make contact directly with the decision-maker in seconds.

Before automated sales intelligence and software like this came to market, sales reps faced a daunting task. They either spent countless hours sifting through endless data in search of the right contact or took blind “shots in the dark,” hoping that luck would eventually favor them and a decision-maker needed what they were selling.

Sales intelligence helps target the right customers at the right time, with the service they’re actively searching for and even gives you outreach messaging to create a personalized approach… giving SMBs a competitive edge.

Benefits of Sales Intelligence for SMBs

Here’s how sales intelligence platforms can enhance sales operations and generate pipeline:

• Enhances Sales Productivity and Efficiency: Automating data-heavy tasks with tools like Generative AI frees up sales teams to focus on relationships, engagement, and closing deals, significantly boosting productivity.
• Improves Sales Forecasting and Pipeline Management: With accurate data at their fingertips, businesses can better predict trends and manage their sales pipelines more effectively.
• Increases Conversion Rates and Revenue Growth: By leveraging precise, data-driven insights, SMB sales teams can target the right buyers at the right time, significantly enhancing their conversion rates and sales.
• Provides Actionable Insights for Data-Driven Decision-Making: Sales intelligence turns raw data into actionable insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions that align with market dynamics and consumer behaviors.

Who Can Benefit from Sales Intelligence?

Once you’ve chosen a platform, who’s best equipped to use it/them? The answer is anyone finding deals. In commercial and industrial services sales, these jobs generally fall into the purview of sales reps. Depending on your team’s size, you may have “inside sales” reps or business development reps (BDRs) and “outside sales” reps in the field. These people are the tip-of-the-spear for a sales or customer relationship management team and should have access to a powerful sales intelligence tool.

But, equipping marketing and leadership with sales intelligence tools can be equally helpful- here’s how each team benefits from using these sales engagement tools together:

Sales and Marketing Teams

• Sales Teams: Sales intelligence tools help pinpoint high-value leads, tailor outreach based on data-driven insights, and effectively close deals, making the sales cycle more efficient.
• Marketing Teams: With access to detailed market analysis and consumer behavior, marketing teams can craft highly targeted campaigns that are more likely to generate quality interactions that turn into leads.

Business Owners and Entrepreneurs

• Competitive Edge: Sales intelligence provides SMB owners with the insights needed to stay ahead of the curve and understand market trends and customer needs better than competitors.
• Informed Decision-Making: Entrepreneurs can use sales intelligence to streamline operations, optimize sales strategies, and enhance overall business performance through informed decision-making.

In essence, the sales intelligence solution is not just a tool but a strategic partner that empowers SMBs across various departments to excel in a rapidly changing, competitive marketplace.

How Sales Intelligence Boosts Sales Performance for Commercial Services Businesses

1. Finding Qualified Accounts with Sales Intelligence Software
   Sales intelligence software is pivotal for identifying leads that are high quality and likely to convert. This software delves deep into data using predictive analytics alone, providing essential insights into:
   • Company, Property, and Contact Data: Comprehensive profiles that enhance understanding of potential leads.
   • Buying Behaviors: Insights into what a prospective customer needs so you can be timely in your outreach.
   • Intent Data: Indications of a lead’s interest, based on their online activities and engagement levels.
2. Generating New Leads Automatically with Sales Intelligence Tools
   Automating lead generation represents a significant advancement in sales technology, offering:
   • Generative AI: AI outreach messaging used to be of terrible quality – today, Convex’s Generative AI outreach is informed by intent data, buying signals, and sales intelligence data – so the messages are tailored and timely.
   • Time and Resource Efficiency: Automation frees up resources that can be redirected toward nurturing client relationships and closing sales.
   • Real-time Data Updates: Ensures that the sales team is always equipped with the latest and most relevant data, making their approaches both timely and tailored.
3. Streamlining Your Tech Stack with a Sales Intelligence Platform
   Integrating a sales intelligence platform into your company data existing tech stack (CRMs, etc.) can streamline operations significantly by:
   • Reducing Complexity: By interacting with your CRM and serving as a central hub for sales data, these platforms simplify the sales process and keep customer data current.
   • Eliminating Data Silos: Provides a unified source of sales data, which is crucial for maintaining consistency and accuracy across sales operations.

Enhancing the effectiveness of your sales and marketing teams is about making each person and stage 3- 5% more effective. If this is done across your entire team, you’ll see huge efficiency gains as well as pipeline growth- accelerated revenue.

Top 5 Sales Intelligence Platforms for SMB

Convex offers detailed property intelligence data, which includes permitting, property characteristics, ownership details, and commercial tenant information. This data is key for customizing sales strategies to the specific needs of property-related industries.

Additionally, Convex enhances outreach by utilizing intent data to inform outreach messaging and lead scoring. Using Generative AI, Convex’s platform can create tailored messaging in seconds- making it a top choice for sales teams looking to boost efficiency and effectiveness.

These platforms each bring unique strengths to SMBs, helping them to harness the power of sales intelligence to refine their sales tactics, improve lead quality, and make sales triggers that ultimately drive revenue growth.

Key Features of a Top Sales Intelligence Platform

1. Data Accuracy and Quality
   High-quality data is the backbone of effective sales intelligence. Platforms that prioritize data accuracy ensure that sales teams have access to the most relevant and precise information, reducing the risk of wasted efforts on outdated or incorrect data.
   
   Convex’s best-in-class data practices combine top-tier data with regular updates to ensure our customers are always the “first to know!”
2. Integration with Existing Tools
   Seamless integration with existing CRM systems and other sales tools can significantly streamline the sales process, reducing complexity and improving efficiency. This ensures that all systems work in harmony, enhancing the user experience and productivity.
3. Customizable Workflows
   The ability to customize workflows allows sales teams to adapt the platform to their specific needs and processes. This flexibility is key to maximizing the effectiveness of sales strategies tailored to unique business contexts.
4. Real-time Data Updates
   Platforms that provide real-time updates ensure that sales teams are working with the most current information available. This is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge, as it allows sales professionals to react quickly to market changes and new opportunities.
5. User-Friendly Interface
   A user-friendly interface is essential for ensuring that sales teams can easily navigate the platform. Ease of use enhances user adoption rates and allows sales professionals to quickly find and utilize the insights they need to make informed decisions.
6. Route Planning and Mapping
   Unlike the other platforms mentioned, Convex offers route planning and mapping with an interface that works similarly to Google or Apple’s Map feature. This feature allows sales teams to plan efficient routes for on-the-go sales calls and appointments, saving time and increasing productivity.

Convex also provides an app with the same functionality, ensuring your team has the same capabilities in the field as they do in the office.

Choosing the Right Sales Intelligence Platform

Assessing Your Sales Needs

Start by clearly identifying your sales goals and objectives for top sales intelligence tools. Understanding what you need to achieve will guide you in determining the essential features and functionalities your best sales intelligence software platform must have.

Evaluating Platform Features and Pricing

Carefully compare the features, benefits, and pricing of different sales intelligence platforms. Consider the total cost of ownership, including any setup, maintenance, or subscription fees, and evaluate the potential return on investment (ROI) each platform offers.

Reading Reviews and Case Studies

Research and read reviews and case studies to gather insights from other users’ experiences. This can provide valuable perspectives on the effectiveness and reliability of each platform. Assess the success stories and testimonials to understand better how different platforms have helped your business development representatives, sales reps, and other businesses achieve their sales objectives.

Jared Rothberger from JAN-PRO uses Convex’s Atlas platform to streamline their commercial cleaning sales. The powerful sales intelligence platform provided by Convex significantly reduces time spent on lead research and prospecting. With up-to-date data and integrated buying signals, JAN-PRO can efficiently identify and target prospects looking for their services, enhancing their outreach and improving conversion rates.

For more details, you can watch the full testimonial here.

Implementing Sales Intelligence for Success

Implementing a new tool will probably provoke some resistance. People don’t like change, and they tend to become comfortable with the tools they’re used to. The key is to have a solid plan and communicate it effectively. This means showing your sales team how easy the tool is to use, how much time it’ll save them, and how it will increase results!

But, there are a few other challenges you may face along the way.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Hopefully, you checked these two factors before deciding on a platform, but make sure the platform you choose includes the following:

• Data Quality and Accuracy: Maintain high data standards to ensure that your sales team relies on accurate and up-to-date information.
• Integration of the Platform with Existing Tools: Smooth integration with existing CRM systems and sales tools is essential to minimize disruptions and maximize the platform’s utility.

Best Practices for Sales Intelligence Adoption

Adopting a sales intelligence tool effectively involves several best practices and team communication:

• Providing Training and Support for Sales Teams: Comprehensive training ensures that all team members can utilize the platform effectively, maximizing its benefits.
• Establishing Clear Goals and Objectives: Clearly defined goals help to align the use of sales intelligence tools with your business strategy, ensuring focused and strategic utilization.

Measuring the ROI of Sales Intelligence

To understand the impact of your investment in a sales intelligence platform, track sales engagement by:

• Key Metrics: Monitor outreach, conversion rates, revenue growth, and other relevant metrics to gauge the effectiveness of the sales intelligence platform.
• Evaluating the Platform’s Impact on Sales Performance: Regular assessments can help refine strategies and ensure the platform is meeting expected performance benchmarks.

These will help you confirm you made the right decision… or if you need to make a change.

Conclusion

The Future of Sales Intelligence for SMBs

As Generative AI, machine learning, data, and other insightful tools become commonplace, sales intelligence tools will get “smarter” and provide sales and marketing teams with more accurate insights.

Sales intelligence is rapidly becoming a vital tool for SMBs, offering a competitive edge against competitors who want to stick with old, outdated prospecting and lead-generation methods. As the market evolves, integrating the right sales intelligence tools into your business processes will be critical to meeting customer needs and staying competitive.

Ready to transform your sales strategy with cutting-edge sales intelligence technology? Discover how our leading sales intelligence platform can accelerate revenue and drive the sales pipeline today. Schedule a demo of Convex to learn more!